No nose for wine choices

What a disappointment—your article on North Carolina wines, especially the panel tasting (Dish, Aug. 6). I have every respect for the tasters, who know their wines. And with one exception I would agree with them. But the choices of wine! For the most part, they were terribly misleading for your readers, and unfair to the numerous North Carolina winemakers who make good wines, several that compare very well with wines made in some of the leading wine regions of the world.

Given a budget of $200, I could suggest at least 15 or more North Carolina wines to choose among that the panel would have liked, including sauvignon blancs from Childress and Shelton vineyards far superior to the one in the tasting. And why no syrahs, or one of the graceful N.C. Chardonnays, Viogniers, or one of the very exciting wines from Raffaldini—the crisp, dry Vermentino 2007 and the dark, vibrant Montepulciano 2006? Your readers should know that there are appealing wines made here which would impress North Carolinians, surprise them, and even make them proud.